Why you need a TDS meter

HumbleLobster · 01/15/2009, 01:19 AM

Just a friendly reminder to always check your fresh water before you mix it up. Because my total water volume for my frag and display tank setup is all of about 22 gallons, and because I'm in an apartment, I've never had to get a RO/DI system. I always just got water 10g at a time using two containers from a LFS.

I've been fighting severe diatom/red slime issues in my display, and brown hair algae in my frag tank for a few months now, so I decided to get a TDS meter. Lo and behold, the TDS from the LFS is 330! My tap was only 210. I verified the meter was reading correctly using some test solution and rechecked. Same numbers both times.

So now I know why I have algae issues and probably the reason many of my SPS frags brown out in my system, regardless of how much/little I feed and skim.

Just a reminder to all to check your TDS!

spongebob281 · 01/15/2009, 01:43 AM

And dont forget to ask for refund. Some LFS owner neglect to change their filter as they see it too costly.

JustinReef · 01/15/2009, 01:48 AM

Man that sucks! Sorry to hear that.

Good reminder!

I actually found a similar thing out when I was buying "RO" water from home depot. I tested the TDS once I got a meter and it was 20 ppm or more. Our tap water is usually around 11 ppm. So obviously spending money on the "RO" they were selling was pointless.

I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI.

Hope your tank gets better after switching water sources!

sikpupy · 01/15/2009, 12:16 PM

Man, that sucks! I would think that a LFS should KNOW how important this is, and, to sell you that crap after all the hard work you do should have thier b*lls hung, seriously!

Hope you find a good trustable source.

Quote:

Originally posted by justinpsmith

I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI.

Really? What are your tap water readings? Do you know what brand RO filter you use?

Colione · 01/15/2009, 12:25 PM

my LFS water is horrible. like 230 or something.

I never thought I could have an RODI unit in my apartment. But I just threw out some crap under my sink and hooked it up! Tied up in the corner, it actually takes up surprisingly little space. Plus clean drinking water now! Best purchase ever ...

austin93 · 01/15/2009, 01:10 PM

They can be had for cheap, probably a good investment.

fcmatt · 01/15/2009, 01:29 PM

i agree the LFS should refund your money. I assumed
the whole point of buying it there was to get clean/pure
water below 10.

JEFFR259 · 01/15/2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by justinpsmith
Man that sucks! Sorry to hear that.

Good reminder!

I actually found a similar thing out when I was buying "RO" water from home depot. I tested the TDS once I got a meter and it was 20 ppm or more. Our tap water is usually around 11 ppm. So obviously spending money on the "RO" they were selling was pointless.

I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI.

Hope your tank gets better after switching water sources!

Your tap water (out of the faucet) is 11ppm!!! That's awesome! You have some great public water purification up there in Canada!

LobsterOfJustice · 01/15/2009, 02:59 PM

We have a terrible LFS around here. I have my own unit, so I never worry about it, but I was talking to two guys who used to work there and they said when they used to work there he didnt have any prefilters in the unit, just a membrane! I'm sure the membrane was shot from the chlorine within days, and all the water people were (are?) buying has been tap!

heller792 · 01/15/2009, 03:07 PM

just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds.

Dave

Henryreef · 01/15/2009, 03:12 PM

wow, I can't believe a LFS would do that. What a rip off, a TDS of 330 WOW. I have always thought TDS meters are worth the money, as they make it easy to tell you if your R.O./D.I. is functioning right and help to save you from GHA.

Cadu · 01/15/2009, 03:17 PM

I still didn't find a LFS that sells 0 TDS RO/DI water. It is not cost effective for them. The serious LFS do not even sell RO/DI water.
The best investment you can make for your reef tank is to buy a RO/DI unit for yourself.

ssamick · 01/15/2009, 03:39 PM

Every time I talk to someone that wants to get in the hobby, I always tell them the first thing you buy is a ro/di. It's amazing how much trouble bad water can cause. You will be so happy to have one. Good luck with the algae.

GoingPostal · 01/15/2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by heller792
just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds.

Dave

This is very important actually, you have to test it at the source, not out of your container.

aquaman67 · 01/15/2009, 05:37 PM

There was a LFS selling water that had only been through a softener as RO/DI. The TDS was actually higher than the tap water.

Also if you get your water from one of those machines at Costco, ect check it too. The person might not have maintained the machine for months.

cashman95 · 01/15/2009, 05:44 PM

If you guys want to save some money, assumming you have a low TDS to start with, you can just use a DI filter to get 0 TDS.

My tap water is around 22 tds and I have 2 DI filters in line. The output water is 0 and last about 3 months each DI. Just Change the first exhausted DI and replace it with the unexhausted 2nd DI filter, the add a new one to the 2nd filter. Cheap on the water bill as well.

HumbleLobster · 01/15/2009, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by heller792
just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds.

Dave

I thought about that and wondered if that was the case. I went back to the LFS and got some more water (I fill my own jugs) and put it in a glass bowl. Got 330 again on the TDS. I only use the containers for fresh water, and they are two aquatainers.

01/15/2009, 01:19 AM	#1
HumbleLobster Should be Quarantined Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Tucson Posts: 432	Why you need a TDS meter Just a friendly reminder to always check your fresh water before you mix it up. Because my total water volume for my frag and display tank setup is all of about 22 gallons, and because I'm in an apartment, I've never had to get a RO/DI system. I always just got water 10g at a time using two containers from a LFS. I've been fighting severe diatom/red slime issues in my display, and brown hair algae in my frag tank for a few months now, so I decided to get a TDS meter. Lo and behold, the TDS from the LFS is 330! My tap was only 210. I verified the meter was reading correctly using some test solution and rechecked. Same numbers both times. So now I know why I have algae issues and probably the reason many of my SPS frags brown out in my system, regardless of how much/little I feed and skim. Just a reminder to all to check your TDS!

01/15/2009, 12:25 PM	#5
Colione Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Santa Monica, CA Posts: 412	my LFS water is horrible. like 230 or something. I never thought I could have an RODI unit in my apartment. But I just threw out some crap under my sink and hooked it up! Tied up in the corner, it actually takes up surprisingly little space. Plus clean drinking water now! Best purchase ever ... __________________ 50 Gal Rimless T5 SPS Current Tank Info: 50 gal Rimless

01/15/2009, 01:10 PM	#6
austin93 Don't Panic! Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Trenton, MO Posts: 757	They can be had for cheap, probably a good investment. __________________ DON'T PANIC! Current Tank Info: 30 Rimless

01/15/2009, 02:59 PM	#9
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	We have a terrible LFS around here. I have my own unit, so I never worry about it, but I was talking to two guys who used to work there and they said when they used to work there he didnt have any prefilters in the unit, just a membrane! I'm sure the membrane was shot from the chlorine within days, and all the water people were (are?) buying has been tap! __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

01/15/2009, 03:12 PM	#11
Henryreef Ocean Lover Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 957	wow, I can't believe a LFS would do that. What a rip off, a TDS of 330 WOW. I have always thought TDS meters are worth the money, as they make it easy to tell you if your R.O./D.I. is functioning right and help to save you from GHA. __________________ - Henry Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon Rimless

01/15/2009, 01:43 AM	#2
spongebob281 Moved On Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 305	And dont forget to ask for refund. Some LFS owner neglect to change their filter as they see it too costly.

01/15/2009, 01:48 AM	#3
JustinReef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3,715	Man that sucks! Sorry to hear that. Good reminder! I actually found a similar thing out when I was buying "RO" water from home depot. I tested the TDS once I got a meter and it was 20 ppm or more. Our tap water is usually around 11 ppm. So obviously spending money on the "RO" they were selling was pointless. I went back to making my own anyways since I do have a decent sized tank and I can get 0 ppm without even using the DI. Hope your tank gets better after switching water sources!

01/15/2009, 01:29 PM	#7
fcmatt Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NH Posts: 850	i agree the LFS should refund your money. I assumed the whole point of buying it there was to get clean/pure water below 10.

01/15/2009, 03:07 PM	#10
heller792 Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: wigan Posts: 652	just a quick note, if you tested water from one of your tubs and there are any particles in there even from the old salt water then these will show up as a massive amount of tds. Dave

01/15/2009, 03:17 PM	#12
Cadu Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lithia, FL Posts: 311	I still didn't find a LFS that sells 0 TDS RO/DI water. It is not cost effective for them. The serious LFS do not even sell RO/DI water. The best investment you can make for your reef tank is to buy a RO/DI unit for yourself.

01/15/2009, 03:39 PM	#13
ssamick Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Fort Wayne, IN. Posts: 295	Every time I talk to someone that wants to get in the hobby, I always tell them the first thing you buy is a ro/di. It's amazing how much trouble bad water can cause. You will be so happy to have one. Good luck with the algae.

01/15/2009, 05:37 PM	#15
aquaman67 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,629	There was a LFS selling water that had only been through a softener as RO/DI. The TDS was actually higher than the tap water. Also if you get your water from one of those machines at Costco, ect check it too. The person might not have maintained the machine for months.

01/15/2009, 05:44 PM	#16
cashman95 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Greenville, S.C. Posts: 810	If you guys want to save some money, assumming you have a low TDS to start with, you can just use a DI filter to get 0 TDS. My tap water is around 22 tds and I have 2 DI filters in line. The output water is 0 and last about 3 months each DI. Just Change the first exhausted DI and replace it with the unexhausted 2nd DI filter, the add a new one to the 2nd filter. Cheap on the water bill as well. __________________ SPS Tank with sump in the garage, 400watt Radium/Lumatek ballast,ReefKeeper2 controlling it all!! VHO actinics in the works! Current Tank Info: 24x24x20 Rimless Cube